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Regus has 1,200 locations worldwide, including 140 are in the UK. It plans to have 2,000 sites around the world by 2014.

Group profits more than doubled to £50.6m last year after it grew sales by 12 per cent, helped by the opening of new sites and through cost savings as it renegotiated leases.

In the UK, gross profits nearly doubled to £29.7m. Business Exchange, which employs around 500 people, is 75 per cent owned by MWB Group – the business behind Malmaison and Hotel du Vin hotels that fell into administration last month.